Holla Back NYC empowers New Yorkers to Holla Back at street harassers. Whether you're commuting, lunching, partying, dancing, walking, chilling, drinking, or sunning, you have the right to feel safe, confident, and sexy, without being the object of some turd's fantasy. So stop walkin' on and Holla Back:
Send us pics of street harassers!

Friday, September 17, 2010

Is Street Harassment Worse in France? Part III

This is written by Anna, who plans to start a Hollaback in France!

I'm very sorry for what happened to Sabriya. I'm a French woman who has lived one year in New York City. I don't live in Paris, but I have to say that I've felt much more relax and safe during my staying in NYC that I had in my hometown. Maybe NYC is such a huge city that everyone is more or less anonymous: no one really cares about how the others are dressed, or how they behave. You don't have time to look at a stranger who looks unusual in the street and wonder "what do I think about this?" At least, it is the feeling I had.

I don't want to talk about a cultural difference between our countries as street harassment exists everywhere around the world. I've been street harassed in NYC a few times. Two men gave me the "Hey cutie", others the kissing noise, one put his hand into his pant and smiled when I walked by him, a truck driver honked at me and my girls friends, and, the most disgusting, a man masturbated in front of me in Coney Island.

From my experience, street harassment in France is more intrusive and happens more often. I mean men often come closer, engage a conversation with you. And they stay, they don't just pass by.

Unfortunately, I have very little information on street harassment in France, we actually don't even use the terms "street harassment"! The newspapers articles that I found treated it as a game or as a form of flirting. As for the forums/websites, they're often full of racist comments. That's one of the reasons I decided to start a Hollaback France. Here are the links of two articles (here and here) written by sociologists (in French) about violence in public spaces and women's fears.